<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-demar-derozan-calls-out-lakers-crazy-free-throw-advantage');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kings star DeMar DeRozan calls out Lakers’ ‘crazy’ free-throw advantage');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Kings-guard-forward-Demar-Derozan-10-runs-back-on-defense.jpg"><figcaption>© Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kings star DeMar DeRozan calls out Lakers’ ‘crazy’ free-throw advantage</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-26T23:55:24-07:00">October 26th, 11:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-26T23:55:24-07:00">October 26th, 11:55pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Sunday night, the Sacramento Kings had a golden opportunity to keep it going after they won their first game of the new campaign on Friday against the Utah Jazz. They were facing a shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers team that was without both Luka Doncic and LeBron James, after all, and they were at home. Alas, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-even-james-worthy-is-in-awe-of-austin-reaves-51-point-night">Austin Reaves happened to put up 51 points</a> in a crazy scoring explosion as the Lakers outgunned the Kings in the process, 127-120.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-austin-reaves-drops-the-mic-with-perfect-reaction-to-51-point-stunner">Reaves will surely draw most of the plaudits</a> for the way he carried the Lakers to a win, looking like a superstar-level player all night long on Sunday. But Kings fans would not want to let LA’s free-throw advantage go unnoticed. They took 46 free throws compared to Sacramento’s 18, and it was always going to be difficult for the Kings to overcome that kind of disparity at the charity stripe.</p><p>Even Kings star DeMar DeRozan <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanCunningham/status/1982679958976934061" rel="noopener">couldn’t believe how many</a> free throws the Lakers took.</p><p>“46 free throws to our 18? We had to beg for most of those. It’s deflating, especially when we go on out there and play hard and try to compete. It seemed like we getting called for fouls but on the other end, when we try to be aggressive, none of that go our way. It’s kind of deflating at times,” DeRozan said in his postgame presser, via Sean Cunningham of KCRA News.</p><p>“46 free throws is crazy. It’s crazy.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">DeMar DeRozan talks about the Kings dropping tonight's contest to the Lakers and says it came down to the 46-18 free throw differential. </p><p>"46 free throws is crazy." <a href="https://t.co/ywPAUJQccX">pic.twitter.com/ywPAUJQccX</a></p><p>— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanCunningham/status/1982679958976934061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Reaves made a living at the foul line on Sunday night, as he scored 21 of his 51 points from the charity stripe (on 22 attempts). The Lakers guard has an exceptional whistle, and he made the Kings pay for some of their misplaced aggression on the defensive end.</p><p>Nonetheless, it’s long been a trend in the NBA that the Lakers have a built-in advantage at the foul line. Such is the perk of having someone like James or Doncic on the roster. But the Kings learned the hard way that even Reaves can have a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-esque night at the foul line and make them pay.</p><h2><b>Kings defense needs a lot of work</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lakers-guard-Austin-Reaves-15-reacts.jpg"><figcaption>© Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Suffice to say, the Kings’ defense has plenty of room for improvement. Their opponents have attempted more free throws than them in each of their first three games, and they’ve had a tendency to get handsy on that end of the floor.</p><p>If anything, someone like Keon Ellis, who is one of the best defenders in the NBA, has to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-player-shock-nba-breakout-2024-25-season">getting more minutes for the Kings</a>. But Sacramento has a logjam in the backcourt and head coach Doug Christie doesn’t seem to trust Ellis that much. But for the sake of their defense, he must.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kings star DeMar DeRozan calls out Lakers’ ‘crazy’ free-throw advantage

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-demar-derozan-goes-full-nsfw-on-people-sleeping-on-sacramento');   ga('set', 'title', 'DeMar DeRozan goes full NSFW on people sleeping on Kings');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Kings-guard-Demar-Derozan-10-looks-on.jpg"><figcaption>© Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>DeMar DeRozan goes full NSFW on people sleeping on Kings</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-21T00:59:09-07:00">October 21st, 12:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-21T00:59:09-07:00">October 21st, 12:59am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025-26 NBA season is about to begin, and the Sacramento Kings are once again looking to join the postseason party in the Western Conference. Alas, not too many are bullish on the Kings’ chances of making the playoffs once more. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-domantas-sabonis-miss-season-opener-hamstring-injury">Domantas Sabonis will miss</a> the start of the season due to an injury and so will Keegan Murray. Moreover, fans aren’t very optimistic about the team’s mishmash of talent that was made all the more complicated by the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-russell-westbrook-defiant-take-retirement-barely-getting-signed">addition of Russell Westbrook.</a></p><p>Nonetheless, veteran star DeMar DeRozan is simply using all that doubt towards the Kings as fuel, with the 36-year-old <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1980399412838031412" rel="noopener">raring to prove everyone wrong</a>.</p><p>“You got to find fuel wherever you can find it. That’s definitely one of them. To see those bullsh*t list they put out there, you definitely gotta be fueled off that, without a doubt,” DeRozan said, via Kevin John of NBC 10. “Everybody else got to take that personally too.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">DeMar DeRozan says he’s fueled by everyone sleeping on the Kings </p><p>"To see those bullsh*t list they put out there, you definitely gotta be fueled off that, without a doubt."</p><p>(🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/heykevinjohn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@heykevinjohn</a> ) </p><p> <a href="https://t.co/UCUyA7AT0g">pic.twitter.com/UCUyA7AT0g</a></p><p>— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1980399412838031412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>It’s not quite clear what specific list DeRozan is referring to, but it’s clear that the NBA world is not too keen on the Kings’ chances of competing, especially in the loaded Western Conference.</p><p>Sabonis’ injury puts the Kings frontcourt at such a tough position; it looks like one of Drew Eubanks or Dario Saric will start the season as the team’s starting center. Suffice to say, that is not a very appealing situation.</p><p>Moreover, there is a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-player-shock-world-breakout-season">huge logjam in the Kings backcourt</a>; Westbrook will have to share the ball with the likes of Malik Monk and Dennis Schroder. Zach LaVine will need his touches. DeRozan is at his best when the ball is at his hands as well.</p><p>The current Kings roster looks like something a mad scientist decided to cook up, although it looks like DeRozan will be trying his hardest to make this hodgepodge work.</p><h2><b>Can the Kings make sense of their current roster?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Domantas-Sabonis-attempts-a-shot-during-2025-preseason.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Head coach Doug Christie is about to have his work cut out for him. He has plenty of players at his disposal that need the basketball, and they don’t have much in the way of floor-spacing. LaVine and Monk are good three-point shooters, but Schroder, Westbrook, and DeRozan aren’t. This will make for some very odd lineup decisions from Christie, especially with Murray and Sabonis on the mend.</p><p>There is a chance that the Kings even finish last in the Pacific Division even amid the Phoenix Suns’ soft reset. This roster has the potential to be very dysfunctional, and only time will tell if they’re capable of making sense of this odd collection of talent.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

DeMar DeRozan goes full NSFW on people sleeping on Kings

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-demar-derozan-predicts-teammate-will-be-nba-star');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kings’ DeMar DeRozan predicts teammate will be an NBA star');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Kings-news-DeMar-DeRozan-predicts-teammate-will-be-an-NBA-star-1.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kings’ DeMar DeRozan predicts teammate will be an NBA star</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-20T21:02:48-07:00">October 20th, 9:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-20T21:02:48-07:00">October 20th, 9:02pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DeMar DeRozan has seen stars come and go throughout his long NBA career. He does view a potential <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-26-nba-power-rankings-tip-off-thunder-position-to-repeat">standout that can shine for the Sacramento Kings</a> very soon in rookie guard Nique Clifford.</p><p>DeRozan is preparing for the 17th season of his career, his second with the Kings. He looks to provide a stable presence on the offensive side of the court while helping the younger players make strides in their game.</p><p>The veteran forward talked about the Kings’ prospects going into the 2025-26 NBA campaign, per reporter Brenden Nunes. He named Clifford as <a href="https://x.com/BrendenNunesNBA/status/1980372745335779403" rel="noopener">one player that can have a big impact</a> on the Kings for this season and the long term.</p><p>“I really believe [Nique Clifford] is gonna be a star in this league. He’s very mature and smooth with his skillset,” DeRozan said.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">DeMar DeRozan said he “really believes [Nique Clifford] is gonna be a star in this league.”</p><p>“He’s very mature and smooth with his skillset.” <a href="https://t.co/ql7Hc8zM3Z">pic.twitter.com/ql7Hc8zM3Z</a></p><p>— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrendenNunesNBA/status/1980372745335779403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>What lies ahead for DeMar DeRozan, Kings</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Kings-news-DeMar-DeRozan-predicts-teammate-will-be-an-NBA-star-2.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It’s a strong endorsement for DeMar DeRozan to give to Nique Clifford, who can have a big role in the Kings’ chances of success this season.</p><p>Clifford entered the league this year after the Oklahoma City Thunder selected him with the 24th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. They later sent him to Sacramento in exchange for draft compensation. He shined as a collegiate star from Colorado State, producing 18.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game in his final year.</p><p>As for DeRozan, he’ll look to remain efficient as one of the team’s best scorers. He averaged 22.2 points, 4.4 assists and 3.9 assists per game throughout 77 appearances.</p><p>Sacramento has remained in the playoff picture since returning to the postseason in 2023. They’ve competed in the play-in tournament the last two seasons, coming up short as they tried securing the seventh or eighth seeds.</p><p>The Kings will continue preparation for their regular-season opener, being on the road. They face the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 22 at 10 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kings’ DeMar DeRozan predicts teammate will be an NBA star

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-demar-derozan-knocks-wood-keegan-murray-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kings’ DeMar DeRozan ‘knocks on wood’ after Keegan Murray injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DeMar-DeRozan-and-Keegan-Murray.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kings’ DeMar DeRozan ‘knocks on wood’ after Keegan Murray injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-13T12:04:06-07:00">October 13th, 12:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-13T12:04:06-07:00">October 13th, 12:04pm</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kings’ DeMar DeRozan ‘knocks on wood’ after Keegan Murray injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/raptors-news-demar-derozan-wont-let-drakes-insults-demoralize-toronto-legacy');   ga('set', 'title', 'DeMar DeRozan won’t let Drake’s insults demoralize his Raptors legacy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DeMar-DeRozan_987cbe.jpg"><figcaption>John Hefti-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>DeMar DeRozan won’t let Drake’s insults demoralize his Raptors legacy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-08T09:25:23-07:00">October 8th, 9:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-08T09:25:23-07:00">October 8th, 9:25am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Wednesday, the Sacramento Kings will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-player-shock-world-breakout-2025-26-season">host the Toronto Raptors</a> for a preseason NBA matchup. It will be another chance <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-demar-demar-calls-last-season-eternally-a-stshow">for Kings guard DeMar DeRozan</a> to face off against his former team, whom he helped guide to the Eastern Conference Finals back in 2016.</p><p>Last year, DeRozan was embroiled in a mini-feud with Toronto rapper Drake, who said, “If you ever put a DeRozan banner up, I’ll go up there and pull it down myself,” per TSN.</p><p>Recently, DeRozan spoke on<a href="https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article312426382.html" rel="noopener"> that supposed feud.</a></p><p>“What I did there, I put my life on the line every single moment I stepped on the court. Nothing or nobody could ever take that away. I don’t get caught up in shenanigans or all the bull crap that comes with it,” said DeRozan, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “At the end of the day, I hoop. I go out there. Every true fan and every person that knows me there knows I represented that place more than anybody that ever came through there.”</p><h2><b>An interesting legacy</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DeMar-DeRozan-looks-on.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>DeMar DeRozan in many ways helped put Toronto back on the basketball map in the 2010s but was never able to get over the LeBron James-sized roadblock during his time there.</p><p>DeRozan also spoke on his appearance in Kendrick Lamar’s video for “Not Like Us,” which dropped in the middle of the two rappers’ feud last year.</p><p>“Drake’s still my man, still my man, none of it changed,” DeRozan said. “It’s so easy to get overlooked and look at it for what it looks like, but at the end of the day it’s music, entertainment. Two of the biggest rappers in the world went at it from a competitive standpoint and they battled it out. That’s what you want to see as a fan: Kobe (Bryant) playing (Michael) Jordan 1-on-1 and see who wins, see the trash talking, and whoever wins out of that, you’re still going to have the debate, so that’s all that is.”</p><p>The Raptors and Kings will tip off at 10:00 PM ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

DeMar DeRozan won’t let Drake’s insults demoralize his Raptors legacy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celebrity/drake-disses-demar-derozan-leaked-iceman-snippet');   ga('set', 'title', 'Drake disses DeMar DeRozan in leaked ICEMAN snippet');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Drake-disses-DeMar-DeRozan-in-leaked-ICEMAN-snippet.jpg"></figure><h1>Drake disses DeMar DeRozan in leaked ICEMAN snippet</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-14T08:18:43-07:00">September 14th, 8:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-14T08:18:43-07:00">September 14th, 8:18am</time><address><a>Autumn Hawkins</a>Autumn Hawkins is an Associate Entertainment Editor at ClutchPoints. She enjoys writing about music, lifestyle, film, and television. When she's not writing, she is trying the newest makeup trend, reading a romance novel, or planning her next trip. She is also a proud member of the BeyHive.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Drake is not holding back.</p><p>The feud between the rapper and former friend, DeMar DeRozan, is still ongoing as Drake addresses his disappointment in him on a <a href="https://x.com/HipHopAllDayy/status/1967002125491130711" rel="noopener">new snippet</a> for Drake’s upcoming album, Iceman.</p><p>“When you was a part of the team we used to be planning our Mexico trip in the spring […] spur of the moment, “ Drake raps. “Why did we think you could get us a ring…”</p><p>DeRozan was formerly on the Toronto Raptors, Drake’s home team, but now the NBA star plays for the Sacramento Kings.</p><p>The snippet follows three previously released singles: “What Did I Miss?,” “Which One,” and the latest release, “Dog House,” featuring Julia Wolf and Yeat. Popular Twitch streamer, Adin Ross, has shared that he has heard the entire album, but says that the <a href="https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/rumors/2025/09/14/drakes-anticipated-iceman-album-is-on-the-horizon/86148981007/" rel="noopener">previously released songs</a> weren’t on the tracklist, according to Hoops Hype.</p><h2>Why do Drake and DeMar DeRozan have beef?</h2><p>Drake and DeRozan formed a friendship due to their common interests in basketball and over the years would party and take vacations together. However, when Drake entered a rap battle with Kendrick Lamar, Drizzy felt that DeRozan picked sides when he appeared at K.Dot’s Juneteenth Pop Out where he was dancing on stage. To add more insult to injury, DeRozan also had a cameo in Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” video which was a direct hit at Drake in the rap battle.</p><p>This is not the first time that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celebrity/drake-throws-demar-derozan-jersey-onstage-amid-drama" rel="noopener">Drake has called DeRozan</a> out for disrespecting their friendship. While Drake was on tour earlier this year, he threw his former friend’s jersey away when a fan threw it up on stage.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="instagram-media"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGL4k5dx1Nl/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div><p></p></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGL4k5dx1Nl/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akademiks)</a></p></div></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>DeRozan hasn’t addressed this snippet claim but in July 2024, he spoke out on why he appeared at the Pop Out.</p><p>“We love Drake, we always can play him,” DeRozan said to FOX 40 at the time. “Kendrick been a friend of mine, family. Damn near family, for a long time, for a while. We’re from the same city, we grew up damn near in the same neighborhood … It’s always been there. It hasn’t always been publicized, but, you know, that’s basically family.”</p><p>Not a lot of details about Iceman has been announced but it is Drake’s first solo album since 2023’s For All The Dogs.  He released Some Sexy Songs 4 U, a joint project with PartyNextDoor, back in February and is currently on tour with the R&amp;B singer in Europe.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Drake disses DeMar DeRozan in leaked ICEMAN snippet

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/nba-news-russell-westbrook-moment-demar-derozan-kings-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Russell Westbrook shares moment with DeMar DeRozan amid Kings rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Russell-Westbrook-on-the-bench.jpg"><figcaption>Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Russell Westbrook shares moment with DeMar DeRozan amid Kings rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-30T05:18:43-07:00">July 30th, 5:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-30T05:18:43-07:00">July 30th, 5:18am</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While most players are already back on the grind for the upcoming season, veteran guard Russell Westbrook has yet to find a new home after choosing free agency, although he has been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-rumors-sacramento-wants-trade-before-possible-russell-westbrook-signing">linked to the Sacramento Kings</a>.</p><p>After one season with the Denver Nuggets, Westbrook declined his $3.4 million player option last month to test the waters and find a new squad. So far, the decision has proved to be unfruitful.</p><p>On Tuesday, Westbrook and Kings star DeMar DeRozan were spotted having a chat during halftime of the game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Las Vegas Aces at Crypto.com Arena. It further fueled rumors about the former MVP going to Sacramento.</p><p>Sparks reporter Ben Geffner <a href="https://x.com/BenGeffner/status/1950390562630357507" rel="noopener">posted a video</a> of the interaction on X.</p><p>“Westbrook’s been linked to the Kings as a primary free agent target. If he signs this offseason, the two would join forces in Sacramento,” wrote Geffner.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan talking at halftime of Sparks vs Aces.</p><p>Westbrook’s been linked to the Kings as a primary free agent target. If he signs this offseason, the two would join forces in Sacramento. <a href="https://t.co/IFLDYMCM2X">pic.twitter.com/IFLDYMCM2X</a></p><p>— Ben Geffner (@BenGeffner) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenGeffner/status/1950390562630357507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>According to reports, the 36-year-old Westbrook has been on the Kings’ radar this offseason, with the team looking to move things around to make room for him. The squad is already loaded at the guard position with Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis, and Devin Carter. Adding Westbrook could mean that one of the aforementioned guys would be shown the door.</p><p>Last season, he averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals in 27.9 minutes per outing. He provided the spunk and energy that the Nuggets badly needed. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-russell-westbrook-game-7-nba-history">Westbrook also had his moments in the playoffs</a>.</p><p>While he could do the same for the Kings, his mercurial personality is always a concern. It could disrupt team chemistry. Westbrook and DeRozan both grew up in California, so that could be a plus. But can he get along with the other guys?</p><p>If everything pushes through, Sacramento will be Westbrook’s seventh team. The nine-time All-Star is past his prime, but he can still be an asset.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Russell Westbrook shares moment with DeMar DeRozan amid Kings rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/miami-heat/nba-rumors-heat-linked-to-jazz-star-amid-jonathan-kuminga-demar-derozan-buzz');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Heat linked to Jazz star amid Jonathan Kuminga, DeMar DeRozan buzz');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Gary-Payton-II-0-and-forward-Jonathan-Kuminga-00-defend-against-Sacramento-Kings-forward-DeMar-DeRozan-10.jpg"><figcaption>© Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Heat linked to Jazz star amid Jonathan Kuminga, DeMar DeRozan buzz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-02T08:54:53-07:00">July 2nd, 8:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-02T08:54:53-07:00">July 2nd, 8:54am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Heat have emerged as a <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-hottest-and-freshest-nba-free" rel="noopener">potential trade suitor</a> for Utah Jazz forward John Collins, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. The report adds to the growing list of players linked to Miami this offseason, which includes <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/miami-heat/nba-rumors-shams-confirms-heats-jonathan-kuminga-interest-amid-warriors-uncertainty">Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/miami-heat/heat-rumors-kings-demar-derozan-viewed-miami-offseason-trade-target">Sacramento Kings veteran forward DeMar DeRozan</a>.</p><p>Fischer wrote Wednesday:</p><p>“The Miami Heat are an oft-mentioned potential Kuminga suitor and do have a clear need on the wing between All-Star guard Tyler Herro and All-Defensive Team big man Bam Adebayo. The Heat have also been linked to Kings scoring guard DeMar DeRozan by various league sources and likewise mentioned as a potential destination for Utah’s very available John Collins.”</p><p>The Heat are coming off a first-round playoff exit and missed out on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-breaks-silence-trade-teasing-fans">Kevin Durant, who was traded to the Houston Rockets</a>. Despite this, Miami remains active on the trade market as they look to build around Adebayo and Herro.</p><h2><b>Heat explore frontcourt upgrade with interest in Jazz forward John Collins</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/John-Collins-20-gets-into-a-discussion-with-Miami-Heat-forward-Duncan-Robinson-55.jpg"><figcaption>© Jim Rassol-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Collins, 27, averaged 18.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per game during the 2024–25 season. He shot 52.7% from the field and 39.9% from beyond the arc across 40 games while playing 30.5 minutes per night. He recently picked up his player option for the 2025–26 season, which will pay him $26.5 million before he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.</p><p>Earlier this week, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/detroit-pistons/pistons-news-detroit-agrees-to-48-million-duncan-robinson-sign-and-trade-with-heat">Heat completed a sign-and-trade with the Detroit Pistons that sent Duncan Robinson</a> to Detroit in exchange for forward Simone Fontecchio. The move added depth to Miami’s rotation but did not directly address the team’s need for a more physical frontcourt presence.</p><p>Collins’ skill set as a high-motor big with shooting range could offer the Heat a new dynamic alongside Adebayo. While Fontecchio adds shooting depth on the wing, Collins would fill a different role focused on rebounding and interior scoring.</p><p>As the Heat continue to weigh their trade options, Collins presents an opportunity to upgrade the roster without sacrificing the team’s developing core. With multiple targets under consideration and recent changes to the roster, the Heat are expected to remain aggressive as the offseason unfolds.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Heat linked to Jazz star amid Jonathan Kuminga, DeMar DeRozan buzz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-demar-derozan-reveals-okcs-secret-to-success');   ga('set', 'title', 'DeMar DeRozan reveals Thunder’s secret to success');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DeMar-DeRozan-reveals-OKCs-secret-to-success.jpg"></figure><h1>DeMar DeRozan reveals Thunder’s secret to success</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-14T12:04:33-07:00">June 14th, 12:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-14T12:05:24-07:00">June 14th, 12:05pm</time><address><a>Dylan Fine</a>Dylan Fine focuses on the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints, in addition to working on the meme team. Dylan is a graduate of Georgetown University and has covered various topics ranging from local politics in the DMV region with DC Voter For Animals to live sporting events in the Long Island and Rochester areas with The Southampton Press and Pickin’Splinters. When he isn't working, he's usually running in preparation for the next annual Turkey Trot.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DeMar DeRozan revealed what he believes is the key to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s success. On Friday, the Western Conference champions rallied to pick up a critical Game 4 win over the Indiana Pacers. Like Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets in the second round, the Thunder had their backs up against the wall and responded by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/indiana-pacers/pacers-news-fans-cant-believe-indiana-blew-game-4-nba-finals-thunder">outscoring Indiana 31-17 in the fourth quarter</a>.</p><p>The six-time All-Star, however, pointed to OKC’s culture as the reason this team is two wins away from a title. In particular, DeRozan discussed in a recent interview with Dwyane Wade when he realized that the Thunder <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1933923382619168973" rel="noopener">was composed</a> of a championship-level locker room.</p><p>“What’s great about OKC is the connection that they have. You see it. Every game they win, the whole team is behind whoever’s getting interviewed. That goes a long way. I watch them offensively, defensively, how connected they are, it’s incredible. It all starts from not just on the court, but off the court.</p><p>That little interview? I don’t think people realize how important that is. Everybody be standing there behind no matter who’s getting interviewed the whole year. Everybody’s staying there. And then they walk off together. That shows, to me, everything about them.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-desperation-game-4-win-pacers">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge</a> for the fourth-quarter rally with 15 of his 35 points in the last 12 minutes. In addition, Alex Caruso picked a great game to have one of his best performances of the playoffs with 20 points and five critical steals. Despite going just 3/16 from three-point range, the Thunder stayed in this game with the Pacers and walked down one of the best clutch-time teams in recent playoff history. Now that OKC knows it can win a close game against Indiana, this result should do loads for the team’s confidence.</p><p>The Thunder will return home for Game 5 in front of what will be a rocking Paycom Center. The NBA Finals will ultimately come down to a best-of-three series between two franchises with loads of depth on their roster. Legacies will be decided over the next week, and either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Indiana Pacers are going to win their first NBA title. It’s time for OKC’s energetic culture to be put to the ultimate test.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

DeMar DeRozan reveals Thunder’s secret to success

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/chicago-bulls/bulls-news-demar-derozan-playing-lonzo-ball');   ga('set', 'title', 'DeMar DeRozan gets 100% real on playing with Lonzo Ball');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DeMar-DeRozan-1.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>DeMar DeRozan gets 100% real on playing with Lonzo Ball</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-29T17:14:13-07:00">May 29th, 5:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-29T17:14:13-07:00">May 29th, 5:14pm</time><address><a>Jake Faigus</a>Jake Faigus graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 and has written for several publications and websites. He has had stops at Catena Media, Playmaker, DraftKings, USA Today, Spike Up, and Spotlight Sports Group. He also writes for Sporting News and works at iHeartMedia in Phoenix when he is not writing for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DeMar DeRozan recently opened up about playing with Lonzo Ball on the Chicago Bulls. DeRozan played with the Bulls for three seasons from 2021 to 2024 and came to Chicago at the same time as Lonzo Ball in 2021. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/chicago-bulls/bulls-news-lonzo-ball-sheds-light-on-upcoming-return-from-knee-injuries">The issue is that Ball was dealing with injuries</a> during most of his time in Chicago while DeRozan was his teammate.</p><p>To this point, Ball has missed most of his time playing with the Bulls. He played for the first time in October 2024 since 2022. Ball and DeRozan barely played basketball together, but when they did, things came together easily, helping the offense flow much better than it did without him.</p><p>On a recent Run Your Race Podcast episode with Theo Pinson and AJ Richardson, DeRozan <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1928198398911336901" rel="noopener">spoke about</a> what it was like playing with Ball and how easy everything was. He said, “When you talk about a piece missing for something… Lonzo was that big piece of the puzzle that put everything together for all of us. He made everything so easy.”</p><p>Ball’s size is what makes him stand out as a point guard. At 6-foot-7 and 190 pounds, there are not many point guards like him, and that’s why he presents such a matchup issue when he is healthy and able to play. The one season he was able to play with DeRozan on the Bulls, Ball had a 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio, and he averaged 5.1 assists per game during that season.</p><p>The combination of DeRozan and Ball never got a lot of time together with the Bulls due to his injuries, and before Ball was able to come back from injury, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-land-demar-derozan-in-sign-and-trade-deal">DeRozan was traded to the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade</a> that also involved the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team deal.</p><p>Hearing DeRozan praise playing with Ball and how much he enjoyed it shows that it was a case of what could have been. Ball could have developed into an All-Star-level talent if it weren’t for some of the injuries he has suffered in his career.</p><p>Both players still play well with DeRozan in Sacramento and Ball back in Chicago, but those years with the Bulls will be filled with missed opportunities.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

DeMar DeRozan gets 100% real on playing with Lonzo Ball

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/denver-nuggets/nba-rumors-paul-pierce-urges-nuggets-to-pull-off-demar-derozan-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Paul Pierce urges Nuggets to pull off DeMar DeRozan trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DeMar-DeRozan_987cbe.jpg"><figcaption>John Hefti-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Paul Pierce urges Nuggets to pull off DeMar DeRozan trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-27T09:49:53-07:00">May 27th, 9:49am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-27T09:49:53-07:00">May 27th, 9:49am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Hall of Famer Paul Pierce believes the Denver Nuggets should pursue Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan this offseason, following <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-praises-david-adelman-2025-playoff-run">Denver’s second-round playoff exit to the Oklahoma City Thunder</a>.</p><p>Speaking on the latest episode of KG Certified, a podcast hosted by fellow Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, Pierce laid out his ideal move for the Nuggets, who won the NBA championship in 2023 but have failed to advance past the second round in the two seasons since.</p><p>“For the next five years, if you got the best player, you got to put some pieces,” Pierce <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article307258531.html" rel="noopener">said</a>. “I feel like if they had a DeMar DeRozan with that team right now, with Joker, he don’t need to be the best player or the second-best player every night. He is going to give you more than what Michael Porter Jr. gave you.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-david-adelman-head-coach-decision'">Nuggets lost in seven games to the Thunder</a>, marking their second consecutive postseason exit in the conference semifinals. Despite another standout campaign from Nikola Jokic, Denver’s supporting cast struggled to deliver in key moments, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/orlando-magic/magic-offseason-trade-proposal-michael-porter-jr-after-postseason-struggles">Michael Porter Jr.’s inconsistency drawing particular attention</a>.</p><h2><b>Paul Pierce suggests Nuggets trade Michael Porter Jr. for DeMar DeRozan to boost playoff reliability</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DeMar-DeRozan-10-controls-the-ball-as-Denver-Nuggets-forward-Michael-Porter-Jr.-1-guards-in-the-first-quarter-at-Ball-Arena.jpg"><figcaption>© Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Porter Jr., 26, averaged 18.2 points, seven rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game during the regular season while shooting 50.4% from the field and 39.5% from three across 77 games. However, in the 2025 playoffs, his production dipped significantly to 9.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, shooting just 39.2% from the floor and 34.3% from three in 14 appearances.</p><p>DeRozan, 35, finished his 16th NBA season and first with the Kings averaging 22.2 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game on 47.7% shooting from the field and 32.8% from three. He played 77 games, logging 35.9 minutes per contest.</p><p>Sacramento missed the postseason after going 40-42 and losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-land-demar-derozan-in-sign-and-trade-deal">Kings acquired DeRozan in a sign-and-trade deal last offseason</a> in hopes of boosting their offense, but the move failed to yield a playoff berth.</p><p>A potential trade between Denver and Sacramento could center on Porter Jr., who remains under contract and provides size and floor spacing. DeRozan, though older, brings a reliable midrange game, veteran leadership, and proven playoff experience — attributes the Nuggets could value as they look to fortify their championship window with Jokic.</p><p>Denver will face a critical offseason, with limited financial flexibility and a need to maximize its current core. As the Western Conference becomes increasingly competitive, Pierce’s suggestion adds fuel to speculation that the Nuggets could shake up their roster in pursuit of another title run.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Paul Pierce urges Nuggets to pull off DeMar DeRozan trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/miami-heat/heat-trade-proposal-demar-derozan-offseason-kings');   ga('set', 'title', 'Heat trade proposal for DeMar DeRozan in offseason amid Kings trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/745012523-heat-trade-proposal-for-demar-derozan-in-offseason-amid-kings-trade-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Heat trade proposal for DeMar DeRozan in offseason amid Kings trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-27T09:41:54-07:00">May 27th, 9:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-27T09:41:54-07:00">May 27th, 9:41am</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings are two teams that seem to be stuck in purgatory. Neither team is good enough to compete for the championship, and it is unlikely that either would even win a playoff series as currently constructed. Neither team is bad enough to select near the top of the NBA Draft, either. Both teams were in the Play-in Tournament this year, and they both need to make a decision on the direction of their franchises.</p><p>The Heat will likely look to build upon what they currently have, while the Kings seem more likely to blow things up. This could actually lead to the two doing business together, as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/miami-heat/heat-rumors-kings-demar-derozan-viewed-miami-offseason-trade-target">Kings could trade DeMar DeRozan to the Heat</a>.</p><h2><b>Heat trade proposal for DeMar DeRozan</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/745012507-demar-derozan-heat.jpg"><figcaption>Ed Ezczepanski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><b>Heat receive:</b> DeMar DeRozan</p><p><b>Kings receive:</b> Terry Rozier, two second-round picks</p><p>ClutchPoints’ <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/celtics-offseason-trade-intel-after-jayson-tatum-injury-siegels-scoop">Brett Siegel has reported that the Heat have interest in DeRozan</a>. Ever since they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/grade-the-trade-jimmy-butler-to-warriors-in-deal-with-heat">traded away Jimmy Butler</a>, it has been clear that the team has needed another star. While DeRozan is 35 years old and his best days are in the rearview, he still has something left in the tank. He also shouldn’t be too expensive to acquire.</p><p>DeRozan’s contract is actually <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/17844/terry-rozier" rel="noopener">cheaper than</a> Terry Rozier’s (per Spotrac), so the Heat would cut costs and get off of a bad contract in this trade hypothetical. DeRozan is also a massive upgrade over the Miami guard who struggled mightily late last season. The USC product averaged 22.2 points per game last season, which was his 12th straight season averaging 20-plus points per game.</p><p>The mid-range specialist would complement Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro well. Adebayo is a beast in the paint and one of the best passing centers in the NBA. Herro can score from all three levels, but he is especially deadly from deep. While a DeRozan deal might not get the Heat into contention status, there wouldn’t be much harm in trading for him because he is on a fair contract, and the Heat would give up next to nothing in this deal to get him.</p><h2><b>Would the Kings trade away DeMar DeRozan?</b></h2><p>Somehow, the Kings ended up with a roster that looks eerily familiar to the Chicago Bulls teams that never worked out.<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-demar-derozan-reacts-reuniting-zach-lavine-bulls-trade"> Zach LaVine and DeRozan only made the playoffs together once</a> in Chicago, but now the Kings are relying on them to lead the way. This duo is flawed, as both players lack on the defensive end and when it comes to playmaking. At least one, if not both, needs to go.</p><p>DeRozan doesn’t hold a lot of trade value, but the Kings would be smart to ship him for draft capital, even if it is just a couple of second-round picks. And while Rozier is regressing in his own right, he at least plays the point guard position. The Kings are desperate for a lead ball handler who can get his teammates involved.</p><p>This would be a necessary step in starting a rebuilding process, and starting over from scratch makes sense for the Kings. The Western Conference is getting better and better, and the team will likely need to reset before they can truly compete with their conference rivals. DeRozan will likely be the first to go, but it wouldn’t come as a surprise if LaVine and/or <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/ranking-best-domantas-sabonis-trade-destinations-if-kings-blow-it-up">Domantas Sabonis were traded</a>. Both of those players carry more trade value than DeRozan does.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat trade proposal for DeMar DeRozan in offseason amid Kings trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/miami-heat/heat-rumors-kings-demar-derozan-viewed-miami-offseason-trade-target');   ga('set', 'title', 'Heat rumors: Kings’ DeMar DeRozan still viewed as Miami offseason trade target');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DeMar-DeRozan_ba3d83.jpg"><figcaption>John Hefti-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Heat rumors: Kings’ DeMar DeRozan still viewed as Miami offseason trade target</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-23T14:10:45-07:00">May 23rd, 2:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-23T14:11:16-07:00">May 23rd, 2:11pm</time><address><a>Jake Faigus</a>Jake Faigus graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 and has written for several publications and websites. He has had stops at Catena Media, Playmaker, DraftKings, USA Today, Spike Up, and Spotlight Sports Group. He also writes for Sporting News and works at iHeartMedia in Phoenix when he is not writing for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Heat are expected to be active in the offseason and want to continue building their roster around Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Pat Riley is always lurking in the background, looking for All-Stars on the market, either in free agency or on the trade block. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-rumors-demar-derozan-trade-buzz-heats-up-lottery">DeMar DeRozan might be the perfect fit</a>.</p><p>The biggest name they could grab is Kevin Durant, but DeRozan might be Miami’s most realistic target, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/celtics-offseason-trade-intel-after-jayson-tatum-injury-siegels-scoop">at least according to ClutchPoints’ own Brett Siegel</a>. DeRozan makes a lot of sense if they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/miami-heat/heat-news-why-pat-riley-wouldnt-oppose-miami-pursuing-aging-star-amidst-kevin-durant-rumors">miss on Durant</a> or Giannis Antetokounmpo as a much-needed All-Star piece on the roster.</p><p>It seems likely that DeRozan is one of the most notable trade targets this offseason due to the Kings making a three-team trade that sent Zach LaVine to Sacramento, while also sending De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and a first-round pick were sent to the Chicago Bulls. His former Chicago teammate joined DeRozan after <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/demar-derozan-free-agency" rel="noopener">being acquired</a> in a sign-and-trade last summer.</p><p>The Kings are a franchise that feels stuck. They managed to sneak into the play-in tournament with this roster, but they still have some uncertainty because Fox did everything for them but was dissatisfied with the franchise’s direction. DeRozan and LaVine are All-Star-level talents, but they have not proven themselves capable of taking games over and dragging teams to the postseason, which is something Fox did in comparison.</p><p>The question is whether the Kings are going to embark on a full-on rebuild and trade not only DeRozan and LaVine but also Domantas Sabonis.</p><p>Siegel writes that Miami must include Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier, and Andrew Wiggins in a trade. They also have a few picks they could include in a trade. A trade with DeRozan would consist of at least one of those two players.</p><p>The lesson is never to count out Pat Riley when making splashy moves in the offseason. It helps that he runs a Heat organization based in Miami, Florida, but he is a master of pulling off moves to help the team. He was one of the principal architects behind creating the Big Three era, which included signing LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Even before that, he helped engineer a massive trade that sent Shaquille O’Neal to Miami.</p><p>Pat Riley and the Heat making a move for DeMar DeRozan would be a first step in getting back into contention in the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat rumors: Kings’ DeMar DeRozan still viewed as Miami offseason trade target

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-rumors-demar-derozan-trade-buzz-heats-up-lottery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kings rumors: DeMar DeRozan trade buzz heats up after lottery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DeMar-DeRozan.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kings rumors: DeMar DeRozan trade buzz heats up after lottery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-13T13:49:27-07:00">May 13th, 1:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-13T13:49:27-07:00">May 13th, 1:49pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/2-early-sacramento-kings-nba-trade-targets-2025-offseason">Sacramento Kings didn’t benefit from any lottery luck</a> on Monday night, as they saw their pick go to the Atlanta Hawks after sticking at No. 13 overall, just one spot outside of the protection they had on it. Now, all of the speculation around the league will be on which rookies will be going where and which superstars could be on the move.</p><p>A lot of that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/bucks-news-brian-windhorst-breaks-down-giannis-trade-interest-around-nba">trade talk will surround Giannis Antetokounmpo</a>, especially after the report that he is “open-minded” about potentially playing somewhere other than Milwaukee next season. Kevin Durant is another name that could be on the move at some point as he and the Phoenix Suns head for a split.</p><p>While the Kings don’t have any player quite on that level, they could still make some noise on the trade marker. Star wing DeMar DeRozan <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/scenes-from-a-seismic-night-in-the?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=163479546&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">could be on the move</a> at some point this offseason as new general manager Scott Perry reshapes the roster, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.</p><p>“The focus in the California capital shifts now to what sort of dealing we could see from the Kings’ new regime,” Fischer wrote. “There has been no shortage of rumbles, since the hiring of Scott Perry as general manager, that Sacramento is expected to gauge the trade market for veteran swingman DeMar DeRozan.”</p><p>DeRozan doesn’t exactly fit the Kings’ timeline or their roster at the moment, especially now that he is back with Zach LaVine after that pairing failed in Chicago with the Bulls. If Sacramento is going to pivot to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/kings-news-domantas-sabonis-wants-stay-but-theres-catch">keep Domantas Sabonis happy</a> and try to get back into the playoff picture out West, moving off of DeRozan feels like the easy solution.</p><p>The market for the mid-range maestro remains to be seen. He is an awkward fit with most cores due to his isolation heavy style while operating inside the 3-point line most of the time. He is also aging out of being a plus defender, so it would take a lot of the right pieces around him for a team to contend with him on the roster.</p><p>That will drive down his price, but expect the Kings to still explore what they can potentially get for him.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kings rumors: DeMar DeRozan trade buzz heats up after lottery

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/ranking-5-best-demar-derozan-trade-destinations-kings-blow-up');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ranking 5 best DeMar DeRozan trade destinations if Kings blow it up');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ranking-X-best-DeMar-DeRozan-trade-destinations-if-Kings-blow-it-up.jpg"></figure><h1>Ranking 5 best DeMar DeRozan trade destinations if Kings blow it up</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-29T06:24:50-07:00">April 29th, 6:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-29T06:24:50-07:00">April 29th, 6:24am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/spencersee10" rel="facebook">Spencer See</a>Spencer See is a part-time writer at ClutchPoints focusing on the NBA, evergreen content and celebrity lifestyle. He is also a lifelong fan of LeBron James. In his free time, he either goes fishing or watches basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Sacramento Kings conceded to the 10th-seeded Dallas Mavericks at the Play-In Tournament. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-anthony-davis-message-kings-fans-play-in-win" rel="noopener">120-106 loss ended the Kings’ playoff campaign</a>, which has been marred by several changes and uncertainty. With Sacramento facing a bleak future, it’s safe to say that DeMar DeRozan could be on the move in a trade after just one full season with the team.</p><p>DeRozan was a bright spot in the Kings’ do-or-die loss, exploding for 33 points to have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-demar-derozan-admission-play-in-loss-mavericks">the most career points in Play-In Tournament history</a>. The Kings don’t look like a playoff contender, and it’s a place that any aging player like DeRozan doesn’t want to play for. Let’s rank the five best DeMar DeRozan trade destinations for this piece if the Kings blow it up.</p><h2><b>1. Indiana Pacers</b></h2><p><b>Pacers receive: DeMar DeRozan, 2025 first-round draft pick</b></p><p><b>Kings receive: Andrew Nembhard and Jarace Walker</b></p><p>This <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/kings/sacramento-kings-news/nba-trade-idea-sends-demar-derozan-to-eastern-conference-rival-01jp92gazy6a" rel="noopener">trade idea was originally put together</a> by Greg Swartz for Bleacher Report. The Indiana Pacers would be the most attractive destination for DeRozan. The six-time NBA All-Star would have no shortage of help in Indiana, as he could possibly team up with the likes of Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner.</p><p>DeRozan’s elite shooting from the midrange gives the Pacers more firepower offensively. In addition to this, he should also ease Haliburton’s duties with the ball, given that DeRozan is capable of creating his own shots. The Pacers are a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference, but they’re still searching for answers to take their game to the next level. An additional All-Star caliber like DeRozan could be the missing piece.</p><p>It’s also worth noting that the Pacers will be busy during the offseason. With two-time NBA blocks leader Myles Turner entering free agency, Indiana will be looking to make some room to retain his services.</p><p>On the other hand, for the Kings, getting a playmaker like Andrew Nembhard helps in balancing their personnel. Furthermore, the addition of 6-foot-7 power forward Jarace Walker makes them younger.</p><h2><b>2. Charlotte Hornets</b></h2><p><b>Hornets receive: DeMar DeRozan</b></p><p><b>Kings receive: Josh Green, Josh Okogie, lottery-protected 2030 first-round pick, and two second-round picks</b></p><p>The Charlotte Hornets have a lot of young pieces at their disposal, headlined by LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Brandon Miller. However, the team has always produced mediocre campaigns, as they have been regarded as cellar dwellers in the past few seasons. Perhaps, an addition of an All-Star veteran like DeRozan could finally unlock their full potential.</p><p>This trade proposal lands DeRozan in Charlotte, without giving up any of their key building blocks. Should he wear the Hornets uniform, you can count on DeRozan to become another scoring threat for the team. He should form a dynamic one-two punch with Ball. Theoretically, their ability to score should keep the Hornets competitive. Furthermore, Charlotte could use some legitimate veteran presence to serve as a mentor for its rising players beaming with potential.</p><p>In return, the Kings can get additional perimeter defenders, who are willing to do the dirty work in Josh Green and Josh Okogie. When called to step up, both Green and Okogie should fit alongside LaVine and Sabonis.</p><h2><b>3. Miami Heat</b></h2><p><b>Heat receive: DeMar DeRozan</b></p><p><b>Kings receive: Duncan Robinson, Kevin Love, 2029 first-round draft pick</b></p><p>Last offseason, the Miami Heat were one of the teams racing to acquire the services of DeRozan before his trade to the Sacramento Kings. Now that the Heat don’t have Jimmy Butler anymore and the potential availability of DeRozan in the offseason, mutual interest between these two parties can be reignited.</p><p>Without Butler, the Heat could use an additional shot creator outside of Andrew Wiggins and Terry Rozier. Wiggins has been producing for the Heat since the Butler exchange, but he hasn’t been the most available starter. On the other hand, Rozier is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. As a result, bringing in DeRozan would be a win-win situation, especially with his ability to create shots for himself. He would certainly help fill the void left by Butler.</p><p>For the Kings, Duncan Robinson will be the prize of the deal. His elite catch-and-shoot skillset could come in handy alongside the duo of LaVine and Sabonis. On the other hand, Kevin Love could still serve as a reliable locker room presence, while providing some floor spacing in limited minutes.</p><h2><b>4. Los Angeles Lakers</b></h2><p><b>Lakers receive: DeMar DeRozan</b></p><p><b>Kings receive: Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, and a protected first-round pick</b></p><p>Another major suitor last offseason for DeRozan was the Los Angeles Lakers. DeRozan is no stranger on expressing his desire to take his talents to Los Angeles. However, despite repeated interest from both sides, a deal simply never materialized. Nonetheless, both DeRozan and the Lakers can finally make it happen in the offseason.</p><p>Although to make it happen, the Purple and Gold would probably need to sacrifice two key rotational pieces to entice the Kings in the form of Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht. Both Hachimura and Knecht have had some bright moments for the Lakers during the 2024-25 season. The former is one of the best outside shooters in the team, while Knecht has provided a solid case to be a part of Los Angeles’ future. Add in a protected first-round pick, and the Purple and Gold could be in line to form another big three.</p><p>While there will be questions surrounding DeRozan’s fit, he would love to play for his hometown. Furthermore, the six-time NBA All-Star is still an offensive force, who’d be interesting to watch play alongside two Hall of Famers. But more importantly, DeRozan would put himself in a strong position to chase a championship. On the Lakers’ end, it’d be another major swing towards maximizing James’ closing window.</p><p>Getting Hachimura, Knecht, and a first-round pick for DeRozan would be a dream acquisition for Sacramento. They’re easily players who can contribute right from the get-go.</p><h2><b>5. Toronto Raptors</b></h2><p><b>Raptors receive: DeMar DeRozan, Devin Carter, and two second-round draft picks</b></p><p><b>Kings receive: RJ Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter</b></p><p>The Toronto Raptors were responsible for bringing DeRozan into the NBA. They drafted him at the 2009 NBA Draft in the first round with the ninth overall pick. He also spent his first nine seasons with the franchise, while leading them to several competitive playoff appearances. In fact, he has already expressed in the past his desire to retire as a Raptor.</p><p>Given that DeRozan is already 35 years old, he also admitted that time is not on his side at this stage of his career. With the three time All-NBA Team player nearing Father Time, it won’t be surprising if he already starts contemplating about making a move back to Toronto.</p><p>Although unlikely, given that the Raptors don’t look like a legitimate playoff threat, the team might have a promising future ahead. In fact, Toronto is poised to upgrade its roster in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft, with a class headlined by blue-chip prospect Cooper Flagg. Furthermore, there’s no better experienced Raptor than DeRozan to serve as a locker room leader to the core that will usher the franchise into the next chapter.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
19.0	5.0	6.0	0.3	1.7

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
19.0	5.0	6.0	0.3	1.7

DeMar DeRozan news

DeMar
DeRozan news